Miniature connector construction

ABSTRACT

PIN AND SOCKET CONTACTS EACH OF ONE PIECE CONSTRUCTION, HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TUBULAR CENTRAL PORTIONS WITH LONGITUDINAL SLOTS FORMING RIBS WHICH ARE YIELDABLE RADIALLY, THE RIBS HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DETENT RECESS THEREIN, AND CONNECTOR BLOCKS WITH HOLES FOR SELECTIVELY RECEIVING EITHER THE PIN CONTACT OR THE SOCKET CONTACT, AND EACH HOLE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DETENT BEAD RECEIVED IN THE RECESS IN THE CONTACT, RELEASABLY RETAINING THE CONTACT IN THE BLOCK.

United States Patent Inventor William A. Kailus North Riverside. lll.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee 840,715 July 10, 1969 June 28, 1971 The Bunker-Ramo Corporation Oak Brook, 111.

[54] MINIATURE CONNECTOR CONSTRUCTION 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 339/217, 339/205, 339/211, 339/213, 339/256 lnt.Cl H0lr 9/08,

HOlr 13/50 Field of Search 339/210,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,917,723 12/1959 Gluck 339/194 3,124,407 3/1964 Lazar et al. 339/213 3,156,516 11/1964 Minor 339/217(S) 3,474,398 10/1967 Piorruneck .1 339/217(S) Primary ExaminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney Frederick M. Arbuckle mm mm m mm mm mm Patented June 28, 1971 MINIATURE CONNECTOR CONSTRUCTION OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A broad object of the invention is to provide a miniature connector including a pin contact and a socket contact, each of a one piece sheet metal stamping and mountable in a connector block by the mere act of inserting it thereinto, and releasably held in such position.

Another object is to provide a miniature connector including a pin contact and a socket contact which are interchangeably usable in the same connector block, whereby to enable the use of a pair of identical connector blocks for mounting the contacts and either selectable at random for either the pin contacts or the socket contacts.

Another and more specific object is to provide a miniature connector including a pin contact and a socket contact having substantially identical construction insofar as their mounting in a connector block are concerned, and in which each includes a tubular portion havingslots forming ribs, in which the ribs are yieldable radially and enable releasable interlocking engagement between the contact and a connector block in which it is mounted, whereby either pin contact or socket contact can be mounted selectively in the same hole in the connector block.

Still another object is to provide a miniature connector of the foregoing general character in the use of which it is not necessary to utilize any external means, or any means other than the contact itself, for securing the contact in a connector block.

A still further object is to provide a miniature connector of the foregoing general character, including a pin contact and a socket contact each of one piece construction and therefore extremely economical, both from the standpoint of manufacture in thatit can be easily made in a punch press operation, and from the standpoint of its use after its manufacture, in that there is no need for assembling pieces to form the contact, or to utilize additional pieces for mounting or securing it in the connector block.

An additional object is to provide a connector block having novel construction for utilization with the contacts of the foregoing character.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the contacts of the connector mounted in connector blocks, the connector blocks being shown in section and fitted together, and the contacts in elevation and interconnected;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. I, on a larger scale, but showing only the central portion of FIG. 1 and the connector block separated and the contacts disconnected;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectignalyjew taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, attention is directedfirst to FIG. 1 showing a pair of connector blocks 10 which are identical in construction, each having a rear face 12 and a front face 13, the connector blocks being in position with their front faces fitted together and the connector contacts in the blocks interconnected. Each connector block 10 is provided with a hole or aperture 14 therethrough, preferable cylindrical in shape and uniformly so except for a circumferential detent bead or rib 16 having inclined shoulders 17 spaced from the front face 13 at a predetermined distance as will be referred to again hereinbelow in connection with the positioning of the connector contacts therein.

The connector is indicated as a whole at 18 and includes a socket contact 20 and a pin contact 22. These contacts are substantially identical or similar in construction insofar as their mounting in the connector blocks is concerned, but they have different fore portions for interengagement as referred to hereinbelow. Each contact includes a rear portion 24 and an intermediate portion 26 substantially identical in the two contacts, while the socket contact 20 includes a fore portion 28 forming a socket element and the pin contact 22 includes a fore portion 30 forming a pin for insertion into the socket element ofthe socket contact.

Each contact is made of a single piece, sheet metal stamping, formed into a tubular shape preferably cylindrical as here shown. The rear portion of each contact includes relatively long prongs 32 adjacent its rear end, forwardly of which are shorter prongs 34, together forming a crimp pocket by which the connector is secured on the conductor stripped at its end, the shorter prongs 34 being crimped on the wire element 36a and the longer prongs 32 crimped on the insulation 36b.

That part of the stamping that forms the central portion 26 is provided with slots 38 forming a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 40 between adjacent slots, and upon shaping the piece into tubular form, the ribs are circumferentially spaced, the ribs possessing substantial yieldability or resilience in radial direction. Rearwardly of the slots, is a portion 42 that is unslotted and in this portion the side edges of the stamped piece are brought into abutting engagement as indicated at 44 in FIG. 6, the side edges being relieved to facilitate abutting engagement. This portion 42 provides a rigid and nonyielding segment.

The ribs 40 intermediate their length are provided with radially inwardly offset segrnents 46 of short longitudinal extent and together forming a circumferentially extending recess receiving the bead 16 in the connector block as referred to again hereinbelow. Preferably the elements 48 interconnecting these offset segments and the main portions of the ribs are inclined, similarly to the shoulders 17 of the bead. The outer surface of the ribs 40, and of the rigid portion 42, preferably lie in a common cylindrical surface defining the outermost dimension of the contact, and dimensioned slidable insertion into the hole or aperture 14 in the connector block. Preferably also the prongs 32 when crimped on the insulation form an outer cylindrical surface of substantially the same dimension.

The detail description of the contact up to this point applies equally to both the socket contact 20 and the pin contact 22.

In the socket contact 20, the ribs 40 have forwardly inclined elements 49 leading into the fore portion 28 which is unslotted and of reduced diameter and less than the aperture through the bead 46. The side edges of the stamping in this portion 28 are brought into abutting engagement as indicated at 50 in FIG. 3, and in this case also the side edges may be relieved for facilitating abutting engagement. Preferably the meeting edges of this portion 28 are provided with a dovetail interlocking connection 52 to aid in rigidifying it and to prevent its expansion. The spacing of the detent recess 46 from the front end of the socket contact, and the spacing of the bead 16 from the front face 13 of the connector block, are substantially the same whereby to position the front end of the contact adjacent the front face of the block for cooperation with the pin contact 22 as referred to again hereinbelow.

In the case of the pin contact 22 the fore portion 30 is unslotted and rigid, and of reduced diameter, less than the aperture through the bead 16, and forwardly of the portion 30 is a pin including a pair of fingers 54 separate and detached from each other and having a high point 56 or maximum dimension greater than the internal diameter of the socket element 28 of the socket contact. The fingers 58 are of a construction heretofore known, self biased outwardly to the maximum dimension but collapsible or otherwise deflectable in response to insertion into the socket element. The beads 16 in both connector blocks are spaced from the front face 13 the same distance, and the dimensions and proportions of the pin contact are such that when the detent recess 46 is in engagement with the head 16, the pin fingers 56 extend forwardly beyond the front face 13 of the block so that when the blocks are fitted together with their front faces interengaged, the pin fingers extend into the socket element in the socket contact.

The inclined elements 49 of the ribs upon engaging the bead 16 cams the ribs inwardly to enable the outer portions of the ribs to pass the bead, upon insertion of the contact into the hole 14. In withdrawing the contact. the front camming elements 48 of the detent segments 46 similarly cam or deflect the ribs inwardly. The elements 48 by engagement with the inclined elements 47. serve to normally retain the contacts in proper position, but enabling withdrawal thereof. This interengagcment in itself maintains the contacts in the said position, without the necessity for additional elements such as clips etc. for the purpose. Accordingly the one piece structure of each contact together with the absence of any additional elements such as clips, renders the contacts extremely inexpensive to manufacture since they can be made easily by punch press operation, and the use thereof is facilitated by the absence of the necessity for assembling a plurality of pieces to make the contacts, or using a plurality of pieces for securing them in position in the connector or blocks.

lclaim:

1. An electrical contact comprising a tubular member having a rear portion for connection with a conductor. a fore portion for contact engagement with another contact, and a central tubular portion having a normal outer diameter yieldable radially inwardly, and having a detent element lying out of said normal surface cooperable with a counterpart detent element in a connector block hole in which it is insertable, for releasably retaining the contact in the hole, wherein said central tubular portion is provided with slots forming a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs, the ribs being flexible and providing the yieldability, said detent element in the contact being incorporated in said ribs intermediate the ends thereof. and the contact having end portions longitudinally beyond the ribs that are circumferentially continuous and radially rigid.

2. An electrical contact according to claim 1 wherein said surface of the central portion is cylindrical and the detent element therein is a circumferentially extending recess.

3. An electrical contact according to claim 1 in which the contact has longitudinally oppositely directed camming elements enabling deflection of the ribs in either direction of movement of the contact in the hole of the connector block, and the contact has longitudinally oppositely directed ele ments cooperable with a detent in a connector block hole in which it is placed whereby to normally retain the contact in such hole.

4. An electrical contact according to claim 1 wherein the contact is a single piece stamping formed to tubular shape having end portions beyond the yieldable portion that are continuous circumferentially, without slots, and with side edges of the stamping in abutting engagement forming rigid and nonyielding portions.

5. An electrical contact according to claim 1 wherein the fore portion of the contact includes a tubular socket operative for interengagingly receiving the pin of a counterpart pin contact and the contact is a one piece stamping, the socket element is circumferentially continuous with a seam formed by the side edges of the stamping, those side edges mutually abutting, and the portions defining those side edges having a dovetail interlocking connection preventing expansion of the socket element by the insertion thereinto of a pin.

6. An electrical contact according to claim 1 wherein the central tubular portion is constituted by a plurality of longitudinal ribs, the fore portion includes a segment immediately in front of said ribs circumferentially continuous with a seam formed by the side edges of the stamping and those edges being in mutually abutting engagement, said fore portion also includes a pair of fingers forming a pin forwardly of said segment that are separate and detached from each other and selfbiased outwardly to a normal maximum external dimension but flexible inwardly toward each other whereby to establish effective contact engagement with the inner surface of a socket element into which it is inserted and which has an internal diameter less than the external dimension of said fingers.

7. An electrical contact comprising, a one piece stamping shaped to tubular form, having a rear portion defining means for connecting the contact to a conductor, an intermediate portion having slots defining a plurality of longitudinally extending. circumferentially spaced ribs, the ribs being yieldable radially and defining a normal outer cylindrical surface, the contact also having a segment rearwardly of the ribs circumfercntially continuous and having a seam defined by the side edges of the stamping, and those side edges being in abutting engagement to form a rigid and nonyielding segment, the ribs having radially inwardly offset detent elements intermediate their ends and connected to the main portions of the ribs by inclined camming elements, the detent elements together forming a circumferential recess displaced inwardly from said normal outer cylindrical surface, the contact also having a fore portion adapted for contact engagement with another contact and including at least partially a tubular element circumferentially continuous and having a seam formed by the side edges of the stamping, and those side edges being in abutting engagement, and said fore portion being of lesser outer diameter than said normal cylindrical surface ofthe ribs, and the ribs having inclined elements at their front end interconnecting the main portions thereof and said fore portion thereby forming camming elements, said latter camming elements being operative for deflecting the main portions of the ribs radially inwardly upon insertion of the contact into a hole in a connector block having a detent extending radially inwardly beyond said normal outer surface, the front ones of the camming elements in said offset detent elements being operative for deflecting the main portions of the ribs inwardly upon withdrawing movement of the contact in opposite direction, and both the camming elements in said offset detent elements being engageable with longitudinally opposite sides of a said connector block detent and thereby operative for normally but releasably retaining the contact in a said connector block hole.

8. A connector comprising a pin contact and a socket contact, both contacts having substantially identical construction in their rear and central portions, each contact at its rear having elements for connection with a conductor and a segment that is rigid and nonyielding radially inwardly, said central portion having slots forming a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs having a normal outer cylindrical surface and yieldable radially inwardly, the ribs having intermediate their ends radially inwardly offset detent elements together defining a circumferential detent recess in the outer surface of the ribs, the socket contact having a fore portion defining a tubular socket element having an outer surface of lesser diameter and said outer surface of the ribs, the fore portion of the pin contact including a pin of a diameter less than the outer surface of the ribs and insertable into the socket element of the socket contact and when so inserted establishing contact engagement therewith.

9. A connector according to claim 8 wherein the fore portion of the pin contact is substantially longer than the socket element of the socket contact whereby when the contacts are mounted in identical connector blocks having front faces that are fitted together, and when the socket contact is mounted with its front end adjacent the front face ofits connector block as determined by the position of the detent recess of that contact, and the pin contact is correspondingly mounted in its connector block, the pin of the pin contact extends a substantial distance forwardly beyond the front face of its connector block, whereby when the connector blocks are fitted together with their front faces interengaging, the pin of the pin contact extends into the socket element of the socket contact.

10. Electrical connector structure including a pair of identical connector blocks having rear faces and front faces and holes extending therethrough, the holes being generally cylindrical but having radially inwardly extending beads spaced a predetermined distance from the front faces, a socket contact and a pin Contact having rear and central portions of substantially identical structure, each rear portion including crimping elements for connection with a conductor forwardly of the crimping elements a rigid andnonyiclding segment, the central portion having slots forming a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs leading forwardly from said rigid segment, the ribs defining a normal outer cylindrical surface, the ribs having intermediate their ends radially inwardly offset detent elements together forming a circumferential detent recess in the fingers, the socket contact having a fore portion defining a tubular socket element having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of detent element in the hole of the connector block, the fore portion of the pin contact having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the detent in the hole in the connector block and including a pin, the contacts being insertable into the holes in the connector blocks from the rear faces and upon movement thereinto the detent elements in the holes operate to deflect the ribs of the contacts radially inwardly to enable registration of the detent elements in the holes with the detent recesses in the ribs and provide normal retention of the contacts in the holes, the spacing of the detent elements in the holes from the front faces of the connector blocks and the lengths of the contacts forwardly from detent recesses therein. being such that when the contacts are mounted in the holes and the connector blocks are fitted together with their front faces interengaging the pin contact is disposed in the socket element of the socket contact.

ll. Electrical connector structure according to claim 10 wherein the socket contact is so dimensioned that when it is disposed in the hole in the connector block its front end is closely adjacent the front face of its connector block, and when the pin contact is similarly mounted in the hole in its connector block, the pin thereof extends forwardly substantially beyond the front face of its connector block. 

